Think You’re Underpaid? Think Again.

The military side seems to be insulated from all the woes of the market – they have three square meals, housing, decent health care – they just live with less than adequate pay, right?

Not according to a recent study. A report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office indicates that military personnel are paid more than most federal civilian employees.

The CBO report compares regular military compensation (base pay, basic allowance for subsistence, and basic allowance for housing) with the federal cash compensation (salary and overtime). The report states that the “median cash compensation for enlisted personnel was at least as high as the 75th percentile of earnings for federal workers with comparable work experience.”

The same held true for officers.

So, is the CBO accurate or is our military families feeling the same financial pressures as their civilian counterparts? You decide.